


Firsts

by foobar137



Series: The Fletcher-Flynn Foundation [2]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Friendship, Romance, Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-28
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foobar137/pseuds/foobar137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some Phinbella vignettes in the timeline of 'Back in Time for Dinner', covering various notable firsts in their relationship. Quite fluffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Fight

**Author's Note:**

> These are a few little fluffy vignettes of Phineas and Isabella's relationship, covering from their first meeting (age 8) up to going off to college, all set in the time line from 'Back in Time for Dinner'. T rated for teen romance, but these should all be tamer than Back in Time, I think; if one isn't, I'll warn at the top.
> 
> First up, we have 'First Fight'; upcoming entries include 'First Meeting', 'First Date', and 'First Christmas'. I'm open to suggestions for others. (First Kiss (that they remember) was in Back in Time, although I may include a new version of that one from Phineas's perspective.)
> 
> More adult firsts may get spun off into a separate M-rated fic, but won't appear here. Stuff after they get to college will go into a Ferbnessa fic I'm working on, tentatively titled, 'What's Up, Doc?'
> 
> And so, with no further ado: Their First Fight, set about a week after Back in Time for Dinner.

“You didn't even _ask_ me!” Isabella shouted at Phineas.

“I’m sorry, I just worry you'd go along with whatever I want to do to keep me as your boyfriend,” he answered, hoping this would help calm her down.

“Why on Earth would I think that? Phineas, I have a brain. I can be responsible for myself. I certainly never expected you to think otherwise. I’d at least like you to ask my opinion instead of just assuming I want to say no!” She evidently wasn’t calming down, and neither was he.

“You never expected...let me guess, dream Phineas never did that?” He knew as soon as he’d said it it was the wrong thing to say. She’d only compared him to her idealized fantasy boyfriend twice in the week they’d been dating, but it still stung him...and now he’d stung back.

“Maybe I’m better off without either Phineas!” she shouted, slamming the gate on her way out. He called, “Wait!” but she didn’t.

Phineas’s shoulders slumped in defeat. With a heavy sigh, he turned to Ferb, who had busily gotten back to working on today’s project - a two-person tunneling machine. That had been the problem; he hadn’t wanted to assume she’d want to be involved, and hadn’t wanted to ask because she’d probably say ‘yes’ just to be with him. But...she was right. If they were going to be dating, he needed to trust her judgement. _Although being willing to date me shows her judgement is questionable in the first place, I suppose._

* * *

Isabella burst through the door of her house and ran up the stairs to her room. Throwing herself on the bed, she let the tears come out. _I knew it couldn’t work. It’s always been him and Ferb, and sorry, Isabella, no room for a third. He didn’t even ask me if I wanted to help out today._

Vivian knocked on the open door. “Isa? What’s wrong?”

“I...I think I just broke up with Phineas.”

Vivian sat on the bed next to her and stroked her forehead. “Oh, Isa. You think? Does he know?”

Isabella laughed, despite herself. “Yeah, I think he knows.”

“What happened?”

“He just...assumed I didn’t want to do something, without even asking me!” She paused and took a deep breath. The tears were fading, leaving just a feeling of wrongness. “He didn’t want to ask, because...I guess he’s worried that I was chasing him for so long that I might agree to anything just to keep him.”

“Would you?”

“No! But when I told him that, he accused me of comparing him to my fantasy version of him!”

“Have you done that?”

“No! Well...okay, not much.” She paused, then added, “Okay, not much...out loud.”

Vivian gave her daughter a hug. “Can I make a suggestion?"

“Always, Mom.”

“This sounds like the two of you are still figuring out the new relationship. Think about which Phineas you want to be involved with, and if it’s the real one, go talk to him.”

Isabella glared at her mother.

* * *

Phineas stared off into space, not seeing the open engine panel in front of him. Ferb stuck his hand in front of Phineas and waved it, causing Phineas to blink and shake his head. “Sorry, I’m just...not feeling it right now.”

Ferb looked at him. _I did not drop you two back in time for two days just for you to break up after a week, dammit._

“I messed up, Ferb.”

Ferb continued to look at him. _Okay, he’s figuring it out. Hopefully the damage isn’t permanent._

“I...should I go talk to her? She probably doesn’t want to talk to me. I need to go try.”

He was almost at the gate when it opened. Isabella stood there, concern and trepidation in her eyes.

“Whatcha doin’?” she asked hesitantly.

“I was just coming over to talk to you,” Phineas said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said...what I said.”

“I’m sorry too. I think I’m done with fantasy Phineas...but I’d really like to keep seeing real Phineas.”

“I’d like that too. I’m sorry I didn’t make room for you in today’s project.”

_Ah. My cue._

Ferb spoke up. “There’s a third seat here, by the way.”

Phineas and Isabella looked at him as one. Phineas spoke first. “Wait...when did you add that?”

“While you were busy moping.”

Phineas smiled. “Isabella, would you care to join us for the inaugural voyage?”

Isabella smiled back. “I’d love to.”


	2. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day after the first fight, we have: the first date. Decidedly fluffier than the previous chapter.

Phineas looked over at Ferb as they got ready for bed the night of his first fight with Isabella. "Ferb, thank you for adding that third seat to the tunneler. I really owe you one."

"We're brothers. We don't keep accounts."

"Even so...thank you."

"You're welcome. May I make a suggestion?"

"Always."

"If you're dating, shouldn't you take her on a date?"

Phineas sat back on his bed, stunned. "...Ferb, I'm an idiot."

Ferb nodded slowly.

* * *

Isabella had come over for the day's construction, and was helping them build a device to read the minds of fish. Phineas tried to figure out how to ask her out. _She's your girlfriend. She's been madly in...um...really strong like...with you for years. She's not going to say no. Just ask her!_

"Isabella?"

"Yes, Phineas?" she said, not looking up from lining up the beam projector with the neighbor's koi pond.

"Would you like to go to a movie tonight?"

She stopped and looked at him. He had her full attention now. "A movie?"

"Well, it occurred to me that, if we're dating, we should probably actually go on a date."

Her mouth quirked up into a smile. "Probably?"

He soldiered on. "Maybe walk downtown for dinner, then catch a movie? Just the two of us?"

"That would be great! What should we watch?"

A quick check showed that there was nothing showing that either wanted to watch. _Ack. Now what do I do?_

_She likes you. She wants to spend time with you. You want to spend time with her. The movie was a means to an end._

He turned to her. "Really, I'd just like to spend some time with you. How about a nice dinner...maybe at Antonio's? And then we can go for a walk along the river. Just you and me."

She smiled at him, that bright smile he hadn't seen since they got back to the present day.

_Wow. I need more smiles like that._

She furrowed her brow a bit, and asked, “Antonio’s is kinda fancy. Are you sure?”

“Only the best for you. I’ve got some extra money to work with, since a hyper-emofunk band did an ironic neo-retro cover of ‘Gitchee Gitchee Goo’ and it’s climbing the charts. You remember, that one-hit wonder song we did back when we were about 10?”

She laughed. “Oh, wow. I’d totally forgotten about that song. I’d love to go to Antonio’s with you.”

“I’ll pick you up about 6?” he asked.

“That sounds great.”

“Great! Now, let’s go read some fishes’ minds!”

* * *

Phineas knocked on the Garcia-Shapiros’ front door at 6:00:04, after having dressed in a nice button-down shirt with tie, dress pants, and dress shoes, then pacing in the backyard for 10 minutes.

_It's just a date_ , he told himself. _Just dinner and a walk along the river. With your girlfriend. Your first date. Hers too._

_No pressure._

Isabella’s father opened the door. “Ah, Phineas! Right on time. Isabella’s still getting ready, so why don’t you come in.”

“Thank you, Mr. Garcia-Shapiro.” He followed Isabella’s father into the living room, and sat awkwardly on the edge of a chair.

“It’s okay, Phineas. I don’t bite. Even boys taking my only daughter out on her first date.”

Phineas smiled hesitantly as Mr. Garcia-Shapiro went on. “She’s been crazy about you for years - ever since you folks moved in across the street, I think. How did you two start actually dating? She never did tell me.”

“Well, we got to talking back on the first day of vacation, and realized that we both really liked each other, and had just never realized that the feeling was mutual. So we decided to start seeing each other.” _Technically true, sometimes, is the best kind of true. And, well, what I said was mostly accurate, even if it ignored that first day of vacation being in 130,000BC, and us spending two nights together there._

“Oh? Oh, here’s Isabella.”

“Hi, Phineas. You look so handsome all dressed up like that.”

Phineas’s brain had short-circuited on seeing Isabella dressed up. She was wearing a lavender dress that clung to her curves, showing just a bit of cleavage and coming down just to her knees. A pair of lavender low heels matched it. “Wow,” he said. “You look incredible.”

She giggled. “You like it?”

“Yes, yes I do. Shall we go? Our reservation is at 6:15, and it’s a ten-minute walk.”

“Let’s.”

Her father said, “You two kids have fun. Phineas, have her home by 10, please.”

“Certainly, Mr. Garcia-Shapiro."

* * *

They talked about school and their friends, about their hopes for the future and events from the past. They didn’t even really notice the food; the company was too enthralling. Finally, the bill had been paid, and they went out for a walk.

It was starting to get dark, but the river walk was well-lit with benches along the way. Most of them were occupied with couples and families enjoying the warm night together. After walking for a few minutes, holding hands, they found an empty bench.

“Can we sit for a bit?” Isabella asked.

Phineas followed her to the bench, where they sat next to each other, his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder; he turned and kissed the top of her head. He was warm against her, even through both their clothes, and she reveled in the touch, in the smell of him next to her.

“Thank you, Phineas,” she said. “This has been very nice.”

“It has. We should do this more often.”

She looked at him, smiling. “Really?”

“Maybe not a fancy restaurant every time. But I like spending time with you. I like you. I’m still getting used to showing it, though.”

“I...like you too. And I’m not used to showing it either. Part of me still wants to pretend I’m not interested to keep from accidentally letting you know I like you. Force of habit.”

He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up, leaning in for a kiss. His lips were hot against hers, and his arms wrapped around her, warm across her shoulders and back as she leaned into him.

They broke the kiss and looked into each other’s eyes. In a low voice, he said, “I think I’ve figured out you like me. Maybe we need to make some new habits.”

“Let’s,” she said breathlessly, and kissed him again.


	3. First Meeting

"Isabella, it looks like the new neighbors across the street have kids. I saw a teenage girl, and some boys who looked about your age," Dad said.

"Okay. So?"

"I was thinking maybe you could be friends with them."

"Whatever."

"Get your shoes on, we're going to go say hello."

Sighing, she put on her shoes and followed Mom and Dad across the street through the rain. What did she care about a couple dumb boys and a girl too old to want anything to do with her?

A tall woman with red hair answered the door. "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm your new neighbor from across the street, Vivian Garcia-Shapiro. This is my husband, Samuel, and our daughter, Isabella. She's 8."

"Oh, hi! I'm Linda Fletcher-Flynn. Why don't you come in! We're still unpacking a bit, but this is my husband, Lawrence, and our 13-year-old daughter, Candace. Our sons, Phineas and Ferb, are also 8. Isn't that a fun coincidence! They're playing in the back room if you'd like to go join them, Isabella."

"Yay. Sure."

She wandered into the back room, where two boys were building a massive structure out of Legos, much larger than she'd ever expected to be possible out of plastic building blocks. Intrigued, she asked, "Whatcha doin'?"

The pointy-headed one with red hair looked up at her and smiled. "Hi! I'm Phineas, and this is my brother Ferb," he said, pointing to a taller boy with green hair who waved silently at her. "We're building a castle to keep our sister out. Wanna help?"

She felt herself drawn to this talkative boy as if by a magnet. "I'd love to help! I'm Isabella, I live across the street. I need my Medieval Construction achievement patch."

"Achievement patch?"

"For Fireside Girls. There's a huge list of cool things we can do to earn patches. I want to earn them all some day."

"That's so cool! Let's get you that patch, then!"

As they built, Isabella found herself pausing to look at the red-haired boy. Something about him seemed _right_ in some way she couldn't pinpoint. An hour later, when her parents gathered her up to go back home, they made arrangements to meet in the boys' backyard the next day, weather permitting.

On the way back, Vivian asked, "Did you get along okay with the boys, Isa?"

"I think I'm going to marry Phineas, Mom."

Vivian laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."


	4. First Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timing notes: this is their first Christmas dating, during sophomore year of high school. Both of them are fifteen at this point.

Phineas had been over every night of Chanukah to celebrate the holiday with her family. Nana Shapiro had been delighted with him. He’d visited briefly on Christmas Eve, and Abuela Garcia had thought he was a charming young man. They’d each spent Christmas morning with their respective families, and now, on Christmas afternoon, they met at Phineas’s house to exchange gifts.

Shyly, she handed him a small box, which he opened to find a silver necklace chain with a small black rock, melted and pitted, wrapped in a silver spiral as a pendant. “Is that a meteorite?” he asked.

She smiled at him. "Meap helped me find one. Do you like it?"

“It’s incredible! Thank you. Can you help me put it on?”

She put it around his neck, helping herself to a few kisses in the process.

He handed her a small wrapped box, which contained a pink paracord bracelet and a survival multitool. "Oh, wow! This is the one with the fire-starter and saw blade! How did you know? They're exactly what I wanted!" she exclaimed.

"I just watched what you looked at when we went to the mall. Getting you out of the sporting goods store is always a trick."

She laughed.

He continued, “Isabella, I know Fireside Girls are supposed to be prepared, but why are you so interested in survival gear?”

“Phineas, just in the past six months that we’ve been dating, I’ve accidentally time-travelled twice, been teleported into the wilderness, fought three different apex predators - two of which are extinct - been rescued from evil scientists twice, rescued you from evil scientists three times, and been turned into a lizard."

"We turned you back!"

"My point stands. Survival equipment is just a necessary part of dating you."

He looked abashed. "Sorry?"

She laughed and kissed him. "Totally worth it."


	5. First Kiss (That They Remember)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We saw this from Isabella's perspective at the end of Back in Time for Dinner; this is Phineas's view of the same event. Timing: first day of summer after freshman year in high school; Isabella is fifteen, Phineas will be fourteen until his birthday in about a month.

The time portal had closed behind them, and now they were home. Their friends were hugging them and patting them on the back...and then he ended up face to face with her. He saw the mask starting to come back as she prepared to be hurt. He couldn’t let that happen.

He hugged her tightly, feeling the tension in her starting to relax as she nestled into his arms, then he let go just enough to have room to kiss her.

She looked up, surprised, so all he had to do was lean down into the kiss. Her lips were warm and soft against his, and the touch was electrifying. After a moment’s shock, she rapidly turned appreciative and clearly didn’t want this to ever stop.

He heard his mother talking in the background, but it didn’t matter. Right now, Isabella needed him.


	6. First Use of "The L Word"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one of these for a while; I'll be out of town for the first half of January.
> 
> Timeframe: a week or two after the first date, no more than three weeks after Back in Time for Dinner.

Phineas and Isabella were snuggled together on the couch in the Fletcher-Flynns’ living room when the radio announcer came on the air. "And now we're starting another 9 songs in a row with Funk Shui and their latest single, 'Gitchee Gitchee Goo'." The song that followed was definitely the one Phineas and Ferb had written, but sped up and with a funky guitar riff added.

Isabella gave Phineas a funny look. “Why does the singer sound bored?”

“It’s ironic neo-retro. The song is too new to be really retro, so they’re pretending it’s older than it really is. It’s ironic because they’re pretending the record company is making them record it, which is why the singer sounds bored.”

Isabella shook her head. “That’s silly.”

“Welcome to the music industry.”

The chorus started up, and they sang along, more enthusiastically than the singer on the radio.

As the song ended, Phineas looked at Isabella, curled up against him. Her eyes sparkled, deep blue pools that he could happily drown in. _Is this love? I think I’d do anything to keep that sparkle there._

And so, as the next song started, Phineas spoke up. "Isabella...I think I love you."

She looked at him with her heart in her eyes, and smiled. "I gitchee gitchee goo you too."


	7. First Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd run out of these yesterday, but last night I got ambushed by this idea. I'd been pondering how Isabella's quinceañera fit into the Back in Time for Dinner schedule, and had decided to just ignore it, but I finally realized how to make it work.
> 
> For those unfamiliar with it: a quinceañera is a traditional Latin American celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday, marking her transition from childhood to adulthood. Traditions vary, and I have no direct experience with any of them; what's here is based on the Wikipedia entry and various YouTube videos of quinceañera waltzes. Blame any cultural missteps on me, for which I apologize, or on Isabella's merged Mexican-Jewish culture, as you see fit.
> 
> Timing notes: this takes place about three months before Back in Time for Dinner.
> 
> Character notes: I ran out of male characters of the right age before I hit the typical court size, so I grabbed a couple names from the wikia list of characters (Pedro and Russell). Russell, in particular, seems way iffy, but the best alternative was Irving.

Phineas and Isabella had both avoided the awkwardness of asking each other to dances “just as friends”, albeit for different reasons. Isabella hadn’t wanted to be that blatant, and Phineas hadn’t wanted to make a move that could be considered that romantic until he was ready to follow through on it. But now, Isabella had no choice. Her quinceañera was coming up, and she had to choose somebody to be her chambelan de honor, the first member of her quinceañera court. It clearly couldn’t be anyone but Phineas.

He had agreed to the honor readily, and now they had to practice the traditional waltz. Schedules were compared, and so, one afternoon after school, he had come over to her house for their first rehearsal.

Hastily, they moved the coffee table out of the middle of the living room to give them space, as her mother cued up the music.

“Okay, now, Phineas, you hold her _here_ and put your hands together _here_. Isa, put your hand on his shoulder _here_. There you go. This is the basic waltz position.”

Isabella’s heart was beating a mile a minute. She was sure Phineas could feel it even through the space separating them. His hand against her waist was warm and reassuring, and the casual grin on his face even more so.

“Now, step and dance, one two three, one two three, one two three, and now try a twirl...no, like this, Isa...”

Half an hour later, Phineas and Isabella were sitting next to each other on the couch drinking lemonade. “That’s exhausting work, Isabella.”

She nodded. “Mom really wants this to be special. A bunch of my relatives are coming up from Mexico for it. Thank you for agreeing to this.”

He smiled at her. “Gladly.”

* * *

Later that night, Vivian called Linda. “They look so adorable together. He really just doesn’t realize how much she likes him, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t. Maybe holding her for the dance will help him figure it out?”

“Not that I noticed, but there’s still time before Isa’s quince.”

* * *

The day had arrived. Phineas waited with the rest of Isabella’s court of honor for the birthday girl to come out. Phineas, along with the rest of the boys, were all dressed alike in dark slacks, white shirts, black ties, and pink patterned vests; the girls all wore pink formal dresses that coordinated with the vests. Phineas began to pace; Ferb walked over to him.

“Anyone would think you were getting ready for your wedding, with how nervous you are,” Ferb said in a voice too low for anyone else to hear.

Phineas smiled thinly at Ferb. “Don’t start. I’m just not ready yet. She wants...” His voice trailed off as he saw Isabella round the corner. He hadn’t seen her birthday dress yet, and now he felt like he’d been pole-axed. She wore an elegant white strapless dress with pink trim and a full skirt; her long black hair, worn up, was adorned with a sparkling tiara. A small curl of hair artfully dangled down over one shoulder.

Ferb looked over to see what had arrested Phineas’s attention so suddenly. “Still sure you’re not ready?” he whispered.

Phineas ignored him and stepped forward, taking Isabella’s hand. “Happy birthday, Isabella,” he said. “You look spectacular.”

* * *

Isabella watched as her court of honor proceeded onto the dance floor, two by two: Gretchen and Ferb, Adyson and Django, Ginger and Baljeet, Milly and Buford, Holly and Pedro, Katie and Russell. Carefully, in time with the music, the court stepped off to the sides and made way for the birthday girl and her chambelan.

She’d seen Phineas’s reaction to the dress. Maybe he wasn’t as oblivious as she thought anymore. She pondered the possibilities briefly as the court reached their positions, but then it was time for her and Phineas. All eyes were on them as he bowed to her, took her hand, and carefully led her to the center of the dance floor. There, amidst their friends and families, they took up the steps of the dance and celebrated her transition to adulthood.

* * *

Linda, her eyes moist, whispered to Vivian, “You were so right. They’re absolutely adorable.”

“He still doesn’t realize?”

Linda shook her head. “Not so far as I know. But he did seem to notice how beautiful she looks in that dress.”

“Someday, they’ll dance like this at their wedding.”

“If Phineas ever gets it through his thick skull.”

Vivian nodded slowly and sighed.

* * *

Isabella sat at the table, resting between dances, as Phineas returned with a glass of sparkling water for her. As he sat next to her, she said, “So now that I’m officially a woman, Mom is asking me when I’m going to get a boyfriend.”

Phineas raised his eyebrows. “Really? Any plans for who the lucky guy might be?”

Isabella gave him a look of Very Limited Amusement.

Phineas looked confused. “What’d I say?”


End file.
